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Enjoy the stories of our Global Advocates, and read more original visioning from MAMA HOPE.

Together We Rise

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OPPORTUNITIES

Queen Elizabeth Academy

QEA has become a beacon of hope for Mlali — primarily because it’s owned by the community itself. The school currently provides quality nursery and primary education to all children in Mlali.

CHILDREN/YOUTH

EDUCATION

FOOD SECURITY

3 PROJECTS
952 SERVED DIRECTLY

A message from Dr. Kilines Sekwiha, Founder

“My name is Dr. Kilines Sekwiha, and I am the Founder of the Queen Elizabeth Academy (QEA) in Mlali. When I was a child, my parents saw my love of learning and sacrificed to keep me in school. It was typical for girls in my village to marry at young age and for boys to become shepherds or farmers. As my father later told me: ‘When it was time to send my kids to school I did not make them take care of the cows. Instead, I sold my cows and did any odd jobs I could to get school fees for my children. My children are changing the world. Do you ever think my cows could have ever done that?’

I believe that all children deserve a high quality education so they can live out their dreams. My goal is to see our children become knowledgeable, dedicated role models and the future leaders of our country. My role in this process is simply as a catalyst; one who initiates and triggers actions for change.”

About

Like other areas in Tanzania, Mlali and the wider region of Dodoma has thousands of children living in difficult circumstances. Each year, many children die before they reach their fifth birthday because they can’t get access to treatments for illnesses, or their families cannot afford enough food for them. Others go without basic things such as safe drinking water, clothes, medicine, education or the love and care of a parent.

The Queen Elizabeth Academy now provides education to more than 180 children. Around one third of these pupils are provided with a free education and would otherwise not be able to access schooling. As Kilines and the staff at the school know, providing a child with a quality education not only gives them a brighter future, but can improve the lives of their families in the present, as they learn about things like hygiene, water safety and disease prevention and bring that knowledge home.

In the future, when the children at the Queen Elizabeth Academy grow up, they will be more able to access well paying jobs, and so support their family members through education and the cycle will go on. These students will bring great benefits to the community, to Tanzania, and the world.

3-Year Goals

Boarding Home

The boarding house will be the biggest money maker for the school, attracting wealthier families from the city who want a quiet place for their children to study. The fees of these children will allow the school to support even more vulnerable children from Mlali who cannot afford to pay. It will also serve as a safe home for the students at the QEA who cannot pay fees and whose relatives are currently unable to give them the care that they need at home. Fundraising is underway to continue the construction of this building.

Sustainability Projects

We are building to our 3-year goals through a combination of income-generating projects. Here's what we're developing right now.

School Farm

The 36 acre land for this farm was gifted to the school from the village. The school gets regular harvests of sunflowers, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, kale, maize and so much more. They have also planted fruit trees including papaya, banana, mango, plum and guava. The plan is to expand the agriculture project, creating a tree nursery to sell seedlings to the surrounding community, while also growing nutritious vegetables for the children to eat.

School Shop

The QEA team has a plan to build and rent out shop units in the village. This will bring a regular local income, while also providing rent-free space for the school to sell its fish, vegetables and other produce.

Global Advocate Contributions

Global Advocates have supported the construction of several classrooms at the Queen Elizabeth Academy, as well as the Queen Elizabeth Boarding School. Additional projects have included permaculture development, water extension, fish pond development, a tree nursery, bicycle distribution, and menstrual hygiene education. Are you interested in early childhood education, sustainable agriculture, or business design? Excited to go rural? Are you up for it? Click to learn more or apply today.

In Our Partners' Words

“I had no idea how I was going to do it but it was clear to me that building this school was my calling. Someday we will even build a University out here. This land will educate thousands and thousands of children." — Dr. Sekwiha